Source (click here)If you'd like to use this for your own game or a modification of it - I give you full permission.

Super Simple Play System(For freeform games that want an element of chance.)Notes about combat and skill system usage.This is designed to introduce the element of chanceinto combat and explain how it will work.Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

First lets get rid of the nerves over the Dicebot on E. The Dicebot is your friendly neighborhood random number generator.

For the rare occasions when it's needed. It's very easy to use but if you've never clicked on it then you might be a bit nervous. No problems. In the spoiler below are a few images to show you what it looks like and how it works.

Step 2: The layout of the land, adding - character name and random number range.

Step 3: Filled out example.

Step 4: The results.

Step 5: Getting a line of code to copy into your post to display your results to the world.

- What it will look like if someone clicks on the link in your post. -

Our Combat System...(A one roll combat system for Freeform Forum RP)

Enemy Combat LevelsCombat Levels will indicate how much danger the opponents are to the players on an individual basis. I will announce Combat Levels in OOC Thread before encounters occur. (Or players may ask for them in the OOC thread when they decide to engage an enemy.)

This is essentially a freeform game so if a player or group of players wishes to engage an enemy they may do so at almost anytime.

What is a Combat Level? What does it do?Combat level is the number that you need to beat in a Dicebot roll to win the battle.

For instance if the enemy is a Combat Level 5 then you will need to roll a 6 or higher to beat them. If you have bonuses because your Combat skill level gives you some, then you may add that to your Dicebot roll.

Enemy Combat Levels range from 1-20, so all Dicebot rolls will be set to 20 Sides (IE: random number range 1-20)

What if I win? (the roll)If you win the roll then you have defeated the enemy and may ask in the OOC discussion thread if there are any rewards or XP for it. In your own post you can type up the combat in anyway that you wish.

A good rule of thumb is that if your roll only beats the number needed by a couple points then it was a desperate fight to win. The wider the margin of victory the easier the fight was for you and the less injuries you sustain. Remember this world is virtual so injuries are just reflected in a decrease in your Life/energy bar and will slowly recover. The character is technically unharmed until their Life/energy bar reaches zero and then they face permanent death. (Don't panic!)

What if I lose? (the roll)If you lose the roll then your Life/energy bar has entered the red zone and you are at risk of permanent death. Your character must flee for their lives and get to safety.

Many planets have a fail safe so if you lose you will just respawn at a hub location minus all of your items, weapons, armor and VCoins. However, many zones do not have failsafes, it's always a good idea to ask the GM in OOC first (This translates into your character checking their UI Locator feature for the zones rules.)

Player Combat Levels & Bonuses

Combat Level & Bonus

| Total XP needed to reach level

Beginner (No bonuses)

| 0

Intermediate (+1)

| 500

Advanced (+2)

| 1000

Expert (+3)

| 2000

Master (+5)

| 5000

How do I earn XP to gain combat levels?

By defeating enemies and finishing games with the combat skill in question. So if you fight an enemy with any type of ranged weapon you'll gain XP with the skill - Combat: Ranged.

What sort of skills are there?Intellectual skills will be things that your character possesses in real life and they are currently learning about in school. Much of those will be irrelevant in a virtual world where the laws of science don't exist. However, they still might come in handy from time to time in game worlds that have a heavy dose of realism.

Physical skills are a lot like intellectual skills. If your character can dance in their real lives then they can dance in VGB. However, all characters share an equal level of physical fitness, strength, etc... The real world physical skills give you an edge in form and practice but can be easily learned and practiced by anyone in VGB.

Creation/Crafting Skills such as wood crafting, blacksmith(weapon or armor), gunsmith, tailoring, alchemy (potion or spell scrolls), and various others are skills that are earned in game. You learn them by finding special scrolls that grant the character the ability to perform these tasks... As long as they have the necessary items in their inventory to complete it. (Ask in OOC for what is needed if you wish to create something.)

Once learned a Creation/Crafting skill is permanent.

Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers(These questions and answers pertain directly to the game I'm currently running but they could be used/relevant to your game as well.)

... How about whenever a character loses a round they lose 5% of their HP per margin of failure and go into the red zone at 20%, allowing them a soft damage cap and the option to run away at that point?

There are no actual hit point numbers in this set up. *No hit point numbers, no damage numbers. It keeps the system simple and largely freeform*

So basically, if you rolled within a couple points just over the victory line then you could write that you used a kiting technique to achieve victory if you wanted to.

The reason for this is precisely because I don't want to make it too mathy. But it makes a bit of sense if you barely win then yes.. you get beat up and yes you take a lot of damage and you use your skills and tactics to achieve victory.

Alternatively if you rolled just a couple points under and lost then you fought hard and came close to victory but had to get away at the last minute or you finally ended up losing.

A wide margin(winning/losing by a number of greater then 5 points) of victory or defeat would translate into losing badly or winning easily - depending of course if you won or lost.

Okay Question Time! Say we have to roll a high number in order to beat a monster? Can groups team up against monsters and combine their rolls? For example, it takes 15 to beat an ogre. If I and my two companions all roll 6, can we combine it to a total of 18 and win the fight?

*After thinking about this further, I like the idea of making it a bit like an MMORPG dungeon. As long as one person is alive at the end of a group battle then the team achieves victory and the others get beat up but win too.

Translated = As long as one person rolls higher then the number needed to win, all players in that group win but the ones with losing numbers will take damage under the same rules as in the previous question. The further their number was away from victory the more beat up they were.

What do dice rolls add to the game? What purpose do they serve? I can't really see what it adds to the game and what kind of extra's it'll give you but a lot of trouble. I've never worked with dice rolls before, so please don't take this as an insult ^_^"

Oh, and in response to you all: thanks for the welcoming messages, but this all sounds rather complicated.

WARNING: Long post ahead but it boils down to what's highlighted.

Basically everything is just a Freeform game. So nothing changes... until the moment that you come to a fight/challenge. Here's why...

This RP is built around the concept that everyone is part of a virtual world that has suddenly turned into a game of life and death. You are trapped in your virtual avatar and the only way to escape is to solve the puzzles, defeat the enemies and find the final Key/Prize.

So a lot of average people (NPC's) that are trapped in the world will just cower in fear and do nothing because suddenly they find out that they can lose their lives if they die here.

However, some people want to get out and are willing to do what it takes to finish the challenges laid out to them. (That's the players accepting the challenge because they want to get out.)

On top of that, there are prizes for the winner and high scorers. A massive prize for the winner that basically would make the winner the richest most powerful person in the world.

This all breeds competition. Some among the player characters and a lot with NPC's that will try to win not just to escape but to win the riches. There will be NPC's in game that will do anything to win, including try to kill your character (and maybe some players too.) NOTE: I'm not going to force or focus on player vs player combat but I will present opportunities for those that wish it. And there will be a natural competition to be the first to win.

.... All of this leads to challenges that will require dice rolls to win.

Some challenges might be a battle against an enemy, and some will be games that the character needs to play (for example maybe your avatar will need to play a game of PacMan to win.) I don't want the players to have to actually play PacMan, instead I'll just have them roll the dice to see if they can beat it or not.

Or in the example of a battle then you'll roll the dice to see if you can beat the enemy. Also the amount you roll on the dice will determine how easily you beat your enemy (or how badly you lose by.)

With these dice rolls in mind that will determine if you win or lose, you will then write up your posts accordingly. Also, based on whether you win or lose, it will determine what happens next to your avatar. How you the player chooses to write that out, is up to you (the player.)

NOTE: All of that sounds complicated but it's really just a single dice roll then the player writes a post according to the results of it. What it adds is the element of chance/risk. Without risk/dice rolls then the player would just write whatever they feel like writing. When you play a full on table top system style game the dice rolls make it more like a dice game and less like writing story... The goal of this sort of system is to keep it mostly like writing a story and having it only be a tiny bit of a dice game.

That much sounds clear to me, but when do you know you have won or lost? The pictures should be very explanatory, but I still fail to really see what to put where. The idea sounds lovely to me, really does, and I thank you greatly for your explanation because that sure cleared a lot of things out. Should it be like, certain death? Or just injuries?

As the GM of the game I will tell you exactly what your rolling for and when to roll. I will explain whenever a roll is needed, what the results will indicate (win/lose/draw etc..)

The dicebot is nothing more then a random number generator. You punch in the number and click "roll dice." then it gives you a result.

Battle Example:

xRebecca's makes a post stating that she's going to enter a building to look for something. She think that there is a "key" to the puzzle in the room. She faces off against a giant slug like creature called a Hutt (from Star Wars).

((You knew this before hand because I told you that when you head to this location you will find a Hutta gangster inside))

So xRebecca asks me in OOC what dice roll she needs to beat the Hutta Gangster and his armed side kicks.

GM (me) responds with a post in OOC that says to beat the room with 2 gangsters and 1 Hutta in it, you will need to roll a 10 or higher. <Then I will state the results of a victory or loss. And the prize rewarded if won.>

xRebecca uses the dicebot to roll the dice (20 sided which is equal to a random number from 1-20). xRebecca rolls a 12.

xRebecca makes a post in the IC thread with the copy/pasted Diceroll results showing her 12. Since a 12 is a victory but only a couple points over the margin of victory. xRebecca writes up a post detailing her hard fought battle with the gangsters in the room and her eventual victory then she takes the "key" and leaves the room triumphantly returning to her teammates.

Example (So, What if I lose?!):

In this example, xRebecca rolled a very low 4. She was defeated in battle and crushed.

So xRebecca writes a post with the results copy/pasted and says she tried to fight them but she was outgunned, they shot her up good and she was easily defeated on this attempt (or something like that.)

Now it's most likely that in this world if you lose you'll be sent to a "starting/hub" point. You get teleported when you are defeated back to the hub (like as if you lost in a video game). Most likely you will lose all your items/weapons/VCoins(the money).

** Most planets won't have a death option, even if they do.. I'll probably come up with something that your teammates can do to rescue your avatar. I don't believe in actually killing off characters in a game unless the player wants to have their character die.